Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield has gotten his career back on track this year. Along the way, Mayfield has become a major bargain for the Bucs.
His one-year deal has a base value of $4 million. He has another $4.5 million in available incentives, with up to $2 million coming from playing time and making the playoffs, up to another $1.5 million based on finishing in the top 10 in the NFL or top five in the NFC in passer rating ($300,000), touchdown passes ($300,000), total yards passing ($300,000), completion percentage ($300,000), and yards per pass ($300,000), and another $250,000 for each playoff win, up to $1 million.
Regardless of the specific incentives he ultimately earns, a total payout of less than $10 million for a wire-to-wire starting quarterback who takes his team to the playoffs (if they make it there) at a time when the market value at the position has rocketed past $50 million per year creates the kind of value that teams with veteran quarterbacks on their second contracts or beyond rarely realize.
Mayfield’s real reward is looming. He has said he wants to stay with the Buccaneers. His next deal in Tampa would be significantly more valuable than his current one. And if the Bucs won’t do it, someone else will. The franchise tag, which likely will be in the range of $35 million, would give Mayfield more in 2024 than he made under his four-year rookie deal as the first overall pick in 2018 ($32.68 million).
So, yes, he’s playing well enough to get paid a lot more. For now, the Bucs have been able to get solid play through 14 games for peanuts, relative to what competent veteran quarterbacks make.
And anyone could have had him. Including, for instance, the Falcons, who gave Taylor Heinicke $6.32 million guaranteed for 2023. Or maybe the Saints, who gave Derek Carr $60 million fully guaranteed at signing — with another $10 million that becomes fully guaranteed in March 2024. If the Buccaneers win the NFC South, the Falcons and Saints will regret not giving him a closer look.
Last year, Mayfield made a bet on himself by giving up $4.6 million of his $19.9 million option-year salary to get out of Cleveland. It didn’t work out. This year, Mayfield’s bet on himself is paying off for the Buccaneers in the short term. Over the long haul, Mayfield might end up with the kind of contract the Browns never gave him.
Along the way, Mayfield has re-established himself as a quality starter who is a great leader and, quite possibly, a division champion. He’s still only 28. He could still end up being one of the better quarterbacks in the league.
This year, he is. Especially since he’s done something plenty of starters haven’t. He has started every single game, through late December.
So where will he be next year? Again, he has said he wants to stay in Tampa Bay. Other teams looking for a starter could disrupt that, whether it’s the Patriots or the Steelers (if they decide Kenny Pickett isn’t the answer) or the Raiders or the Broncos (if they move on from Russell Wilson) or the Vikings (if Kirk Cousins leaves) or the Seahawks (if they choose to move on from Geno Smith).
Regardless, Mayfield likely will have more options in March 2024 than he had in March 2023. And that might end up being enough to get the Buccaneers to apply the franchise tag — which will give Mayfield the kind of one-year salary that few expected him to realize after the Browns became fixated on Deshaun Watson and Mayfield landed with a Carolina team that fired head coach Matt Rhule only five games into Mayfield’s time there.
Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed was able to return to practice on Friday.
Toe and chest injuries sidelined Reed for the first two days of the week, but head coach Matt LaFleur said that the rookie got some work in on Friday. Reed is listed as questionable to play against the Panthers.
If Reed plays, he’s unlikely to be joined in the receiving corps by Christian Watson. Watson is doubtful to play due to the hamstring injury that’s kept him out the last two weeks. Tackle Luke Tenuta (ankle) and running back Emanuel Wilson (shoulder) are also listed as doubtful.
Linebacker De’Vondre Campbell (neck), tight end Luke Musgrave (kidney), and safety Darnell Savage (shoulder) are not going to play.
Cornerback Jaire Alexander (shoulder), running back AJ Dillon (thumb), and wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks (ankle) join Reed in the questionable group.
Facing one of the league’s best signal-callers this week, 49ers linebacker Fred Warner knows Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson presents plenty of problems for defenses.
The All-Pro linebacker said this week that San Francisco’s defense has to be at the top of its game to contain Jackson on Monday night.
“When he is running, yeah, he can hurt you with his legs, but he can also hurt you by running [and] then look down the field and throw an explosive pass on you, that sort of thing,” Warner said, via David Bonilla of 49erswebzone.com. “And him being more aware of wanting to stay in the pocket and deliver the football to the receivers, playmakers.
“So you can’t just sit there and say, ‘Hey, just hold him in the pocket. Don’t let him get loose.’ You hold him in the pocket, and you don’t apply pressure, then he’s going to hit you deep. So that’s where it’s like, we got to be on top of every little detail this week.”
Jackson has completed 66.3 percent of his passes for 3,105 yards with 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions this season. He’s also rushed for 741 yards with five TDs.
It’s difficult for any defense to truly contain Jackson, who has displayed his dual-threat ability time and again. But if any unit has a decent shot to do it, it’s the one from San Francisco.
There hasn’t been much for the Panthers to smile about this season, but they were able to crack a few of them last Sunday.
Kicker Eddy Pineiro hit a 23-yard field goal as time expired at a rainy Bank of America Stadium to secure a 9-7 win over the Falcons. It was the second win of the season for Carolina and Pineiro has hit kicks at the buzzer to account for the winning points both times.
The NFL announced on Wednesday that Pineiro is the NFC special teams player of the week. It is the second time he has won the prize with the Panthers and he also won it once while with the Bears.
Pineiro also hit two other field goals against Atlanta and he is now 24-of-28 on field goals and 16-of-17 on extra points over the course of the entire season.
The Panthers designated linebacker Claudin Cherelus for return from injured reserve on Wednesday.
Cherelus will be able to practice with the team for the next 21 days. He’ll need to be activated before the end of that period if he is going to play at any point before the end of the season.
The Panthers have now designated seven players for return from injured reserve this season. Teams are permitted to bring eight players back each year.
Cherelus was claimed off of waivers from the Jets after the cut to 53 players at the end of August. He played 105 special teams snaps in six games before hurting his knee.
The Panthers also announced that they have released quarterback Jake Luton from their practice squad.
